The Secret Fear

by Solomon Carter

  “No. Keep things simple. That’s too much double-think for me,” said Hogarth. “Which means we’re back to Izmir. And the family feud. Could Izmir have done it for his father, to earn some respect...?” said Hogarth. “No. I don’t think Izmir even likes his old man.”

  Palmer nodded. “I think you’re right about that. What about Miray, guv?”

  Hogarth made a face. “What?”

  “I just wondered, how does she fit into all this? It made sense at first. She was on the run from her old life. But now we know her old life is still here. Devirim is here. She didn’t tell us that part, did she?”

  Hogarth’s eyes drifted, but his frown remained in place. “No. She didn’t. But she didn’t order Baba Sen to be killed either, did she?”

  “I’m only saying that she hasn’t been entirely straight up—”

  “Point taken, Sue. I’ll talk to her about that when we get to her.” He recalled Miray’s change of attitude, her tension. That explained it.

  “Izmir is where we start. We’ve got his dodgy alibi. His non-compliance when asked about his unknown contacts on the WhatsApp group. Now we’ve got this shred of orange plastic on his jacket in the office. It’s from the strip curtains. I know it is. Even if that jacket in Yuksel’s office belongs to someone else, someone like Dev Atacan, we start with Izmir. Squeeze him hard enough, maybe we can get everything else out of him.”

  “But he does have an alibi, guv. That’s your problem. And that orange thing could have been from anything... or the jacket belong to someone else.”

  Hogarth tutted. “Forwards, not backwards, Sue.” He picked up the pen and wrote on the flipchart sheet again.

  IZMIR. CONTACTS? FEUD? EVIDENCE. WEAK ALIBI. He circled weak alibi.

  “Come on! We’re going round in circles. Have we got anything else?”

  “Can I borrow your pen, guv?” said Palmer. Hogarth nodded and stepped back. She took the pen and leaned over the table and started to write on another sheet.

  BABA SEN – SECRET PAYMENTS. LUMP SUM TO ISTANBUL. PLANE TICKET. AND SMALL PAYMENTS.

  Palmer put the pen to her mouth and looked at her notes. Then she stepped forward and wrote TWO YEARS underneath the words SECRET PAYMENTS.

  “There’s two years again,” said Palmer. “That’s when those payments started. Maybe they are connected after all.”

  “Hold up, Sue. That stuff could be a whole other game entirely. A different case even. Like Yuksel’s cash and carry racket. Yes, it stinks, granted, but is any of it cause for murder? I don’t see it. All I see is Izmir and the feud. And the more you look at it, the reason for the feud gets more obvious,” said Hogarth.

  “Obvious how?” said Palmer.

  “Like you said, these old men are total opposites. Two sides of Turkey and definitely two types of men. One religious, one a selfish criminal. One a secretive and zealous control freak, the other turning himself into the kingpin of his own protection racket. Baba Sen refused to pay the man and Yuksel said Baba told other takeaways they didn’t have to pay. Old Yuksel virtually said as much at the start.”

  “I know what you mean about Yuksel’s business not quite fitting the murder but... this,” Palmer tapped the sheet with Baba’s payments on it. “And this...” she walked to the notes on the wall and pointed at Izmir’s WhatsApp contacts. “These are part of it. Both of them. They’ve got to be.”

  “Go on then – tell me how,” said Hogarth.

  Palmer shook her head.

  “PCSO Kaplan. Got any insights. Any beginner’s luck you’d like to share?”

  Kaplan shook her head. “Sorry.”

  The office door opened and in walked Simmons. The atmosphere in the small office was intense as he stepped inside. He hung in the doorway as if he had intruded, then looked around and saw the notes on the wall and on the table. “Busy?” he said.

  “Don’t mind us, Simmons. We’re just wallpapering the office. It’s what we like to do when a case turns sour. How did our warehouseman get on?”

  “He’s in hospital,” said Simmons. “The paramedic said he’d lost a fair bit of blood, but they’ll stitch him up and he’ll soon be well enough.”

  “Good. I think we’ll need him for the longer game – nailing Devirim Atacan. But if the Yuksels get put in the frame for Sen’s murder Atacan might fly the coop. Can’t say that I’d miss him.”

  Simmons nodded. “That gunshot was serious stuff, guv.”

  “The gunshot is serious, I know,” said Hogarth. “It gets put in the records, and we have to be as careful as we can be. But tell me, what did the warehouse guy say about it all?”

  Simmons shook his head. “Him? After you’d gone, he clammed up straight away. I don’t think he’ll say another thing about any of it.”

  “You bet he won’t. Once bitten twice shy and all that. And Devirim Atacan has already blamed his unknown friend for the shooting, which means he’ll be virtually off the hook. Gun or no gun, we can write it up but there’s not much we can do about it against Yuksel or Atacan without any evidence linking them to it.” Hogarth pulled a bunch of folded sheets from his pocket. He had a few packing labels from Albania and a couple of torn sheets of fraudulent ‘Product of Turkey’ stickers.

  “This is all we’ve got to show for our trouble in Basildon,” said Hogarth. “It’s not much, but it might be something we can use later if we can ever get Yuksel in the dock.”

  “In the dock for killing Baba Sen?” said Simmons.

  Hogarth shook his head. “No, Simmons. We haven’t got much apart from a feud and some iffy family secrets. As far as killing Baba Sen I’m not sure Yuksel had anything to do with it.”

  “He didn’t need to pull the trigger though, did he?” said Simmons. “If old Yuksel is running a protection racket, he might have wanted Sen dead to show what happens to those who don’t pay up.”

  Palmer thought it over and nodded. Hogarth had to admit it was a fair point, one he’d overlooked. Simmons glanced at Kaplan with a hint of pride.

  “Those sheets might not be all we got from Basildon,” said Palmer. Her words were uncertain. They looked at her as she opened her handbag and tipped the cheap knife onto the meeting table.

  “You took that from the warehouse?” said Hogarth. “What for?”

  “No. It’s been bugging me for a little while. I wasn’t sure, but seeing as we’re struggling, it could mean something. I saw this knife under Baba Sen’s cupboard just before the attacker came for me. I thought he was after Baba’s secret papers, but what if he came back for this?”

  Hogarth shook his head. “I don’t get it Why?”

  “You said the murder was messy. Sloppy. What if the cut was sloppy because this knife was supposed to make that cut? But the killer dropped it and lost it before he had the chance to use it?”

  “That’s a big if, Sue.”

  Palmer shook her head. “I think I saw a whole packet of these knives on one of the pallets at Basildon. I think they come from Yuksels. It doesn’t help with the poisoning, but if I’m right, it points us right back to Izmir. Or even back to Atacan.

  “Okay, okay. I hear you,” said Hogarth. “But no more theories and no more suspects. We’ve got a pile of them already. Okay. It’s time for some donkey work. We’ll start with the weakest link. And we all know who that is.”

  Simmons looked blank.

  “Don’t worry, Simmons,” said Hogarth. “I wasn’t talking about you.” The DI patted Simmons on the shoulder as he walked out of the office door.

  “One of these days...” muttered Simmons. Palmer waited for Simmons to finish his sentence, but he let it trail off into silence. She gave Simmons another pat on the arm and followed Hogarth out of the room.

  “We’re off to see the Yuksels, I take it?” said Palmer.

  “There’s secrets on both sides of this feud, Palmer. But I don’t think old man Yuksel or Baba Sen were the only ones to keep secrets...”

  “Guv?” said Palmer. She wondered if Hogarth was referenci
ng Miray. It was always possible the woman might have known more than she had let on.

  Hogarth saw her speculating. “Never you mind, Palmer. It’s probably safer to keep out of it. I’m the one who rattled Yuksel’s cage with my answerphone message. I think it’d be best if I go and face Izmir myself.”

  “Guv, you were the one saying we should be careful. Now you know for certain that the Atacans are involved you shouldn’t handle this by yourself. I should come with you.”

  “They’ve never killed a policeman yet.”

  “As far as we know,” said Palmer.

  “Thanks for that. I’ll handle it,” said Hogarth.

  Palmer felt she could read between the lines. Hogarth’s visit was going to be part business, part personal. She nodded in acceptance.

  “Then what do I do?”

  “Like I said, there’s still secrets on both sides here. You’re the one who swears there’s something to Baba Sen’s secrets. And you’re the one who has an in with Orcun Sen. Use it. See what you can find without me hanging around.”

  “You mean visit Orcun Sen? I’m not sure I want to go back down that road.”

  “Then take another one. See what you can dredge up.”

  Hogarth winked and walked away. Palmer sighed. Maybe it was for the best. With DCI Melford putting them under pressure, giving the Sens a closer look had to be worthwhile. Shame it was the very last thing Palmer wanted to do. Palmer had gone off raki altogether.

  Twenty-one

  Hogarth parked a good way down West Road and walked past the hand car wash. Their big radio was blaring and the men in boiler suits were whistling along as they scrubbed the latest queue of cars. Soap suds and grey water streamed past Hogarth’s brogues. He glanced at the car wash before walking on. Car washes and money laundering were part of the picture, but not the part he was interested in. Hogarth slowed as he got near to the wide white and red frontage of the Yuksel Cash and Carry, planning what he would say when he came face to face with Dev Atacan. That made facing old man Yuksel seem like a walk in the park. He shook out the tension from his shoulders and neck and moved on with more resolve. But when he saw Miray moving an A-board sign in front of the shop, he stopped in his tracks. Here was his opportunity to speak to Miray, unwatched. It was risky, but professionally and personally, Hogarth felt he just had to know what was going on. He winced at himself, the folly of what he was going to do. And he did it anyway.

  “Miray...” he said, whispering loudly while keeping himself well away from the shop window. “Miray!” The woman stopped fussing with the A-board and stood up straight. She looked left and right before she caught sight of Hogarth. He watched her face closely. He saw the glimmer of a smile, one of Miray’s genuine smiles, followed by the fearful look which replaced it. She looked towards the shop window and swept the hair from her face. When she looked at Hogarth again, she seemed serious. Miray stayed exactly where she was.

  “Miray, I know things are difficult. I just want a word. Two minutes – that’s all.”

  “Joe. I’m sorry. I can’t do it. They’ll wonder where I am,” she said.

  “One minute then. Come on, Miray, be fair. Just let me know what I’m letting myself in for.”

  The woman looked at him and her eyes were wide and earnest. She toyed self-consciously with her necklace, nodded, and started to walk towards him. She moved quickly, as if in fear of being seen by the Yuksels. When she got closer, Hogarth felt how conflicted she was. Maybe that was why she was being so distant, so guarded. He felt the sudden urge to wrap her in his arms and protect her. The urge was so palpable Hogarth took a half step towards her. Miray seemed to sense his intention and stepped back.

  “Please, Joe. It’s not possible. Not then and not now.”

  Hogarth stepped back and nodded. “You didn’t think so back then, as I recall.”

  “But you did, and you were right. But it is good to see you all the same. I just wish, like then, I wish things were different.”

  Hogarth nodded. It was a very small comfort, but barely worth having.

  “Miray. You said you came here to get away from the past. But after what happened to me this morning, I think you never really got away, did you?”

  He looked into her eyes. “Devirim Atacan, Miray. I saw him. One of his men took a shot at me.”

  Tears bloomed in the woman’s eyes. She wiped them away before they could fall down her cheeks.

  “Damn it, Joe. I didn’t think you’d find out. I hoped that once you’d seen me, that would be it. I wanted you to be happy. I hoped you had a wife and a family here and all the happiness you deserve...”

  Hogarth shook his head. “I don’t think that’s going to happen, Miray,” he said. “So, Ferkan was killed. Then what?”

  “Then I just tried to get on with my life. But the family didn’t want to let me. Old Yasir, the father, he suspected I had told the gangs where Ferkan would be. But I would never have done that. It was horrific. They all treated me like a condemned woman. I never knew if they would end up killing me in their anger. After a while, Yasir seemed to get his peace and turned quiet. But I could never tell if he would change his mind.”

  “So you ran away? And Devirim caught up with you?”

  “No. It was never like that. Devirim was there from the beginning. He was the only one who didn’t blame me for what happened to Ferkan. The only one who stuck up for me with Yasir. But I always knew there would be strings attached for Devirim’s support.”

  “Strings? What strings?”

  “Devirim told me he had taken up with one of Ferkan’s old contacts. Ferkan knew the Yuksels. Did you know that?”

  “I’ve seen the photograph in his office. Devirim’s in the picture. Ferkan is probably in the same shot.”

  Miray nodded.

  “When their London empire started to fall, Ferkan was the first to see the writing on the wall. He started to reach out to other people, to create a new base, a new home. He made contact with this ambitious family called the Yuksels. He offered to help them grow their business.”

  “Grow their business?” said Hogarth, doubtfully.

  Miray nodded.

  “Did you know what kind of business that was?”

  “I know of only one business Ferkan could ever grow. He was mafyasi until the end.”

  Hogarth nodded. “But then he was killed – in East London – killed before he could come here.”

  “No. He was already starting to work with the Yuksels by then. I knew that. He never told me with who he was working or what he was doing, but I knew he was coming to Southend. Shortly after that, he was assassinated. It was horrible, Joe. They were brutal.”

  “As brutal as Ferkan?” asked Hogarth.

  Miray nodded.

  “Did you ever hear who killed him?” he asked.

  “There were so many enemies, one got him in the end. What does it matter? I never learned who. The Atacans were under siege, they were so busy trying to save themselves they couldn’t look after one another anymore. It was bound to happen one day. But at least I got out. At least one of them wanted to save me – even if he did have an ulterior motive.”

  “Devirim brought you down here?”

  She nodded. “To keep me safe was what he said. But he was always over-friendly, always over-familiar. It wasn’t long before he tried to... you know...”

  Hogarth’s eyes flashed with anger.

  “I didn’t let him. I put him off. But of course, in my situation, dependent on them as I am, there are only so many ways a woman can put off a man with power and influence.”

  “What are you saying, Miray?”

  “I promised to marry him, Joe. I said I was still grieving over Ferkan but I don’t think any of them believe me, so I’ve had to fix a date for June. Joe, it’s the only way I can stay here and keep out of trouble. Yuksel wants me to marry him as well. He thinks helping Devirim to marry me will mean Devirim is indebted to him.”

  “But why would he want an Atacan t
ied to him at all?”

  “Because Devirim is finishing the job Ferkan started. He is the enforcer for Yuksel’s business now. He makes it happen.”

  “Miray, Miray, Miray...” said Hogarth.

  The woman gave him sad eyes and a warm smile. “I swore to myself I would never tell you all this. I had to keep it secret for them and Devirim. I have no choice, you see? But you never give up, do you, Joe? You never did. Please, don’t make my life any worse.”

  The shop door shunted in the wooden frame. Hogarth ducked back towards the wall, hoping the angle would keep him hidden. Miray gave him a pursed-lip smile and jogged back towards the door.

  “Miray! What are you doing out here?” said old man Yuksel before launching into Turkish. Fortunately, the old man didn’t look Hogarth’s way. Miray walked into the shop and he shut the door after her. Hogarth took a minute to reset his feelings, his mood, his manner. And if he did let out his true feelings there was a good chance all hell would break loose, and Miray would surely be the one to pay. Hogarth pondered his next move. He couldn’t reveal what he knew or where it had come from. But he had to do something... and he saw Izmir as his best way in. Izmir, the weakest link. If he shook Izmir enough, he hoped the whole cage would rattle harder still. Hogarth took a deep breath and started to walk, shoulders back, head up, ready for the confrontation. His mobile started to ring in his pocket, and this time Hogarth decided not to ignore it. But when he saw the name on screen, he really wished he had. The screen said Melford. The air sank from his sails and he pulled back from sight.

  “Sir,” said Hogarth.

  “Hogarth! I’ve had another incident. I need you there right away.”

  “Another incident? Sir, I’m in the middle of something important here. Can it wait?”

  “Of course not. I’m sure you can spare me twenty minutes.”

  “Are you serious? You know I’m in the middle of a murder investigation and you want me to drop everything just so I can—”

  “Careful, Hogarth. You can pick up where you left off immediately after this. I expect you to attend. I’m at the car showroom on the roundabout to Great Wakering. Do you know where I mean?”